#mechanicmonday honors Rawny Semba and Mary Elizabeth

Rawny Semba and Mary Elizabeth of Chicago, Illinois.

​We are back after what seemed like a far-too-short weekend, and we are especially excited to share our first-ever double-feature Mechanic Monday with you! This week’s honorees are two of the coolest and kindest people in the entire Midwest cycling scene: Rawny Semba and Mary Elizabeth of Chicago, Illinois!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with PBMA’s Mechanic Monday series, this is where we feature one mechanic each week who is chosen randomly from the pool of nominations that we receive. Mechanic Monday is all about mechanics supporting fellow mechanics, and we are proud to partner with Abbey Bike Tools, Cycling Industry News, and People for Bikes to share these great features with you.

Rawny and Mary were nominated as a couple, but we want to emphasize that they are each a talented mechanic in their own right. We reached out to Rawny and Mary separately and received their approval to feature them together. And we’ll be honest – theirs is one of the most fun interviews we’ve done so far for this series!

Rawny is primarily a race mechanic; he works with LOOK Neutral Support during road season and the Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com pro team during cyclocross season. He focuses his time on road and ‘cross now, but Rawny’s first love in cycling was BMX as a kid. As he grew up, he took on more challenging adventures in bike touring and camping. Some combination of BMX tricks and camping in the dirt must have helped Rawny develop a special skillset for cyclocross – he is a favorite mechanic of the Cannondale team, and was an integral part of Stephen Hyde’s two National Championship wins in 2017 and 2018.

When he’s not on the road, Rawny can be found turning wrenches at Tailwind Cycles in Chicago. Rawny enjoys his time at the shop just as much as his time on the road; he uses each one to refine his skillset for the other. For example, Rawny works with new cyclists and Juniors at the shop, and he applies that “mentoring” experience to support the Cannondale development team during ‘cross season. Likewise, Rawny’s work on the race circuit has taught him an unparalleled level of attention to detail, and he brings that same professionalism and skill to his day-to-day work at the shop.

Mary is the go-to mechanic at Boulevard Bikes in Chicago, where she’s worked for the past eight years. Eight years can seem like an eternity in an industry with such high turn-over of service staff, but Mary’s perspective on life in a bike shop is something that even the most veteran mechanics can learn from. Simply put, she “[takes] great pleasure in making peoples’ bikes feel great, whether it’s setting them up to crush a race or overhauling their old touring bike.”

Mary is also a race mechanic with LOOK Neutral Support. Her favorite events to support are criteriums, but she’s the first to admit that it’s hard for her to sit on the sidelines (even as a mechanic in the middle of the chaos) and not be out in the field racing. And Mary is a pretty great racer – even if she is pretty modest about her success! She started racing around the time she was volunteering with a bike co-op that eventually hired her as a full-time mechanic. The bike co-op is also where Mary learned “how to make stuff work with limited resources” – a skill that has proved invaluable to her as a race mechanic.

The “favorite tool” debate with these two is a tough one to settle, so we’ll call it a draw for now. Rawny didn’t hesitate to call out the EV3 Mulfinger because it makes lacing up wheels much easier. Mary couldn’t decide between her VAR16 lockring tool and her Felco cable cutters. Honestly, you can’t go wrong with any of the three they picked!

That’s all for this week! Thank you for following along with our series and sharing our support for our fellow mechanics. We’ll be back next week with a new feature. In the meantime, we are still in need of nominations!! You don’t need to be a PBMA Member to nominate or be featured! (All that we ask is for no self-nominations, please.) Click here to learn more about our 2018 Mechanic Monday series, and here to learn more about how to nominate your favorite mechanic!

#mechanicmonday honors Marzhel Pinto

​Happy Mechanic Monday, everyone! We are excited to introduce you to this week’s honoree, Marzhel Pinto of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by way of Mexico!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with PBMA’s Mechanic Monday series, this is where we feature one mechanic each week who is chosen randomly from the pool of nominations that we receive. Mechanic Monday is all about mechanics supporting fellow mechanics, and we are proud to partner with Abbey Bike Tools, Cycling Industry News, and People for Bikes to share these great features with you.

Marzhel Pinto is new to the world of race mechanics, but a veteran of the cycling industry. He found his niche in a cycling community while he was in college, and he has never looked back! Marzhel was born and raised in Mexico, but lives and works in Philadelphia today.

At Marzhel’s request, we are proud to share his interview with you bilingually – in English and Spanish (his native language).

MP: When I was in college I joined a rag-tag group of fellow nerds. They had just started to run a bike kitchen out of the farmer's market on campus. Having always been mechanically inclined I joined and was instantly hooked. That lead to my first apprenticeship cleaning floors and parts bins at a shop and, well, now I'm a USAC Certified Race Mechanic. I recently worked for Neutral Sans Frontierès at Tour of Gila. With hard work, dedication, and some luck anything is possible.

MP: Rubbing elbows with industry veterans at the DC PBMA Clinic is up there. By far the USAC Race Mechanic's clinic is my favorite moment ever. Having Calvin (from Park Tool) sing to us about tubular glue was the best.

MP: My advice to aspiring [people of color] professional bicycle mechanics is to not let the lack of diversity and representation get you down. Don't let the words and actions of misguided individuals lead you astray from your goals. My biggest piece of advice would have to come from Brett Flemming [of EVT] himself. At the DC PBMA Clinic, he told us to always retain the mindset of a student. Always be thirsty for knowledge and don't let your ego get in the way of anything.

That’s all for this week! Thank you for following along with our series and sharing our support for our fellow mechanics. We’ll be back next week with a new feature. In the meantime, we are still in need of nominations!! You don’t need to be a PBMA Member to nominate or be featured! (All that we ask is for no self-nominations, please.) Click here to learn more about our 2018 Mechanic Monday series, and here to learn more about how to nominate your favorite mechanic!

#mechanicmonday honors Lane Herrick

​Welcome back to Mechanic Monday! We took a two-week break at the end of June to build our queue of interviews, and we are excited to share a brand new feature with you today. This week’s honoree is Lane Herrick of Westlake Village, California!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with PBMA’s Mechanic Monday series, this is where we feature one mechanic each week who is chosen randomly from the pool of nominations that we receive. Mechanic Monday is all about mechanics supporting fellow mechanics, and we are proud to partner with Abbey Bike Tools, Cycling Industry News, and People for Bikes to share these great features with you.

Lane Herrick is a neutral support mechanic, team mechanic, shop mechanic, and all-around good human. He worked in shops all over the country and with teams all over the world, before finding his home at Win’s Wheels in Westlake Village, California. We caught up with Lane to learn more about his time in the world of cycling, and hear some of his “legendary” stories firsthand. Here is some of what he had to say, in his own words!

PBMA: How did you become involved in cycling and/or cycling mechanics?

LH: Like many other cyclists, I got started as a mechanic by working on my own bike from a very young age. I hung out in bike shops and read every magazine I could get my hands on. I worked in shops after high school and a bit in college, all while racing and working on my own bike. In the fall of '98, my buddy Maynard and I were having coffee and he told me about life on the road with the traveling circus of the racing circuit; I was hooked. I went to the Mechanic's Clinic in Colorado Springs that winter and immediately went to volunteer with Mavic at Sea Otter, Redlands, the Cascade Classic, and Altoona. I was lucky enough to go to The Powerbar Women's Cycling classic with a women's team which stands out as a terrific memory. I moved across country and held positions in various shops in NYC and Brooklyn from sales, to Assistant Manager, to Manager, and finally Service Manager. When I moved back to California I was Service Manager in several shops before finally finding my home at Win's Wheels. It was here that I finally learned how to be a professional mechanic. I've learned more here in the past three years than I ever knew from wrenching in previous positions.

PBMA: Do you have a favorite moment or story from your time in the cycling industry?

LH: I was volunteering with Mavic at Redlands on the Fontana Time Trial course in '99. It was pretty busy and it was really my first time working with Mavic; I was fairly excited and nervous. Jeannie Longo came up with a pair of wheels and asked me to swap cassettes for her. I was a bit starstruck and since the cassette she was asking me to remove was on an aluminum freehub body, it was a real challenge getting it off. I finally got it off after fighting and getting more and more nervous because I'm trying to do it efficiently while she was watching me and slammed the cassette on and gave it to her. She very politely pointed out that I had removed and installed the exact same cassette.

PBMA: What motivation or advice would you give to an aspiring professional bicycle mechanic?

LH: Take every opportunity to learn something new; there are so many professional educational seminars and classes - jump on it.

PBMA: What is your favorite tool?

LH: Enduro Bearings Hub and Pivot Bearing Press Tool BRT-005.

That’s all for this week! Thank you for following along with our series and sharing our support for our fellow mechanics. We’ll be back next week with a new feature. In the meantime, we are still in need of nominations!! You don’t need to be a PBMA Member to nominate or be featured! (All that we ask is for no self-nominations, please.) Click here to learn more about our 2018 Mechanic Monday series, and here to learn more about how to nominate your favorite mechanic!

650 brands of eBikes

More than 250 million ebikes in use world wide, every day.About one million ebikes in USA garages and on the roads.10 million in Europe.Sales this year will approach 40 million units, world wide.Now the money maker for nearly all the bicycle industry.More than 650 brands of ebikes world wide.Nearly 300 brands of ebikes offered in the USA!

My consulting company, eCycleElectric has been studying the electric bike industry of the world, and reporting on it in collaboration with Dr. Frank Jamerson, since 1996. We have been witness to a new concept in human transportation that first gained traction in Japan in 1994, and has rapidly become a major people mover world wide - still growing, and with awesome prospects.

One of our areas of focus is to track imports of ebikes into the USA. And to maintain databases of importers, OEM factories, ODM factories, distributors, brands, propulsion system makers, motor makers, battery makers, retailer and retail channels. Since we are based in the USA, with associates in China and Europe, our interests are wide ranging, but we have a particular interest in the USA market.

In 2017, about 600 individuals or companies imported 5 or more ebikes. About 223 of these imported 25 or more ebikes. About 20 of them imported thousands of ebikes.

We learn of yet another ebike brand about twice a week. 2018 is seeing big increases in participants, and we believe, big increases in imports.

One of our beliefs is this: If we are not hearing screams of anguish about slow sales from distributors, brand managers, and retailers, the imported bikes are selling through to consumers. For the last 2 years, what we hear from major brands and retailers, is that sales are up dramatically, and everyone is looking for more bikes. Companies that we had regarded as small, become important players suddenly, and frequently.

These imports come from about 60 factories in China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, and India. (China being the leader by far.) USA assemblers are less than a dozen, and still small in volume. (USA assemblers all use parts from overseas.)

We count about 95 companies that offer propulsion or some part the propulsion system. The biggest providers, however, are relatively few in number. Two Chinese companies provide the bulk of motors and propulsion to the USA, with one European company not too far behind. Batteries are provided by a handful of battery packagers in Asia and EU. (Battery packagers weld together cells made by cell makers, to produce the exact size and performance of a battery needed by a brand manager.) Cells (lithium) come from less than half a dozen makers.

Warranties and reliability of the product, as well as after sales service and parts availability is being addressed by a handful of factories and suppliers, but this is improving quickly in the USA and the EU.

Service training, once exclusively offered in the USA by the Light Electric Vehicle Association, is now available from traveling clinics, LEVA, the PBMA, and coming soon from others.

Recent conversations with major brand managers (in the ebike world) indicate optimism, enthusiasm for the substantial growth and acceptance of the product in nearly every retail channel. Some major traditional bicycle companies can be see to be re-inventing themselves as ebike companies! Automotive industry is already participating. Google nearly any car maker and “electric bike” and learn that they have one, or plan to have one, or maybe - had one.

Share bike systems are coming into the ebike world quickly. Only a couple of years ago, there were some share bike experiments. Today, the number of dock type and dock - less systems is expanding faster that we can keep track. Renting an ebike in many cities of the world, (Especially China, but also EU and USA) is easy and inexpensive.

Ebike customers are often the same people who have been bicycle customers. But we are also seeing millions of customers (and potentially hundreds of millions) that would never buy or use a conventional bicycle. Aging populations in the west are finding ebikes can extend one’s mountain biking years. Millennials are finding ebikes useful and economical “sweat free” transportation. Dense cites (more and more humans life in such cities) require two wheel transport, that ebikes provide very well.

The term “wild west” comes to mind when examining the world ebike industry. Growth is stunning, huge numbers of participants. big money to be made. New areas of activity and market expansion seem to occur every week. New players, and a sexy rapid expansion that attracts capital and energy.

What will happen?

We believe that the huge number of brands that exist today will consolidate to, perhaps, a dozen in each major market. We believe that share bike systems will have an impact that is not yet well understood. We believe that ebikes and e-motorcycles will replace most bicycle purchases, and nearly all light motorcycle purchases, resulting in about 130 million units, world wide, per year in the mid to late 2020’s.

We believe that success with ebikes will determine the future of all bicycle and motorcycle brands. And we believe that the door is open today, to new entrants, innovative marketing, and energy / capital / and ideas from outside the industry.

#mechanicmonday honors Katie Colesberry

​Happy Mechanic Monday, everyone! We are excited to introduce you to this week’s honoree, Katie Colesberry of Turlock, California!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with PBMA’s Mechanic Monday series, this is where we feature one mechanic each week who is chosen randomly from the pool of nominations that we receive. Mechanic Monday is all about mechanics supporting fellow mechanics, and we are proud to partner with Abbey Bike Tools, Cycling Industry News, and People for Bikes to share these great features with you.

Katie Colesberry is an up-and-coming force in professional cycling mechanics. Like so many of us, she grew up tinkering with bikes in her parents’ garage, and she never lost touch with her loves of the craft and the sport. Katie was one of our earliest nominees for Mechanic Monday this year, and she recently graduated from working for a shop to running her own business (Katie’s Pro Bike Service) – so it’s no surprise that she’s been so busy that we only recently caught up with her for an interview! We are pleased to share some of our conversation with you today, in Katie’s own words!

PBMA: How did you become involved in cycling and/or cycling mechanics?

KC: My story of bike mechanics begins as a kid growing up in King City with no bike shop. While in middle school, my small town bike shop closed. The building was scheduled to be torn down and the owner of the shop had nowhere else in town to go. The next nearest bike shop was well over 50 miles away. Out of necessity and curiosity I began to tinker with my bikes. First was simple tube changes, cleaning, and oiling. For fun weekend projects, my dad and I would find some beat up junker bikes and fix them up. Between his handyman abilities and a Park Tool book my aunt gave me, I started to learn how bikes worked and how they go together. We would tear the bikes down to the bare frame, sand them, primer, and spray-paint them. Some even got new parts. If I needed new components, I would ask my dad to pick some up at that bike shop 50 miles away in Salinas.

Fast forward a couple years and I had some of the specialty tools needed and the skills to perform simple repairs. To earn some money, I would fix bikes for family friends and the other kids in the neighborhood. Thus "The Shop" was created. My mom and dad allowed me to take over the third car garage and turn it into a bike shop. I had an old Park repair stand, a small toolbox of mismatched tools, and a workbench. When I moved away for college the garage bike shop came to an end in King City. I did bring my bike and some basic tools with me to my dorm. Again, I would fix bikes for the neighbors in the dorms for favors or pocket money. My time fixing bikes became less and less and my time riding bikes grew.

My real beginning of cycling began while I was in college. I was riding around campus, town, and every so often out of town for some head clearing. At the time, I was racking up at least 100 miles a week on a fixed gear I had made out of an older Peugeot. While home over break, I brought my bike and did a few rides around the vineyards and country roads of South Monterey County. Without much thought about it, I fired up Strava, got on my kit, and took off for a quick ride. When I got home, I checked the stats of the ride and saw that I had a Strava QOM. I got a call within a day or two later for a family friend who saw that I had beat his time up a climb and was shocked to learn I did it on a single speed fixed gear. We got to talking about bike and rides and all the usual topics. He invited me to sign up for a chairity ride: The AIDS LifeCycle. At the time I was in the process of coming out, and he suggested that the ride would be a great way to get involved with the LGBT community. His daughter was his usual ride partner and this year she was not planning to ride; she was in the process of starting her family and was pregnant. She being about my height allowed me to ride her bike. I was able to train on it, and use it in the event. This is about the time I began to learn and become part of the cycling community in my college town. I was riding on my own and in group ride while I trained for the 545 mile ride from SF to LA.

This is where the two cycling mechanics story and riding story start to meld. While on group rides, I would occasionally moan about my dish washing job and would ask if anybody knew of another job that was slightly less miserable. Mostly and mindless groaning but the universe was listening. One day I received a message over Facebook from the owner of the local bike shop asking me if I wanted to come work for him. I worked for the local shop for nearly four years while I worked on my business degree. The owners and lead mechanic were very insightful and I learned so much from them. The lead mechanic who I spent most of my time with had been working at the shop longer than I had been alive. The time I spend at the shop really solidified my interest in the cycling world and piqued my interest in pursuing bike mechanics as a career. I decided to complete the business degree and begin building my knowledge and skills of bicycle mechanics with the goal to complete a variety of classes and courses to make myself a true professional.

PBMA: What motivates you to excel as one of the few woman mechanics in our industry?

KC: I'm not sure I can completely explain where my motivation comes from, nor why it is so difficult for me to nail down. I don't want to be cliché and say "it’s my passion and I don't know what I would do otherwise" (said in an annoyingly sarcastic tone). I think if I had to boil it down, I would quote one of my favorite bands, Memphis May Fire: “This is not just a dream, but a path I've chosen that means everything to me." I continue on down this path in hopes that I can make a difference in the way bike mechanics are viewed and treated. Being a girl doesn't mean that you can't play with tools or get greasy and dirty. And being a bike mechanic doesn't mean that you work on Walmart bikes and fix flats all day.

PBMA: What motivation or advice would you give to girls or women aspiring to become professional bicycle mechanics?

KC: This too is a difficult question like the last! I would advise that ladies make themselves well rounded and knowledgeable. Learn as much as you can from the right sources. Know what is [considered] “best practice” from the manufacturer, and not from the kid who has been working in the shop slightly longer than any of the other kids. It’s okay to make mistakes, but learn from them and fix them. It doesn't take too many tubes blowing up in your face for you to check the tire bead more carefully. And most importantly: Know your worth, be kind, and take no sh*t. This line of work can be an uphill battle.

PBMA: What is your favorite tool?

KC: My favorite tool would have to be the Abbey Crombie and its accompanying chain whip. Back when I was just getting into bicycle mechanics, a good friend of mine took me around the show at Sea Otter Classic. Dan introduced me to some of his industry friends and overall was a super networking experience. While pointing out tools and equipment I'll want to get he introduced me to Jason at the Abbey tent. He had this one-off chain whip that had a black and blue KMC chain on it and I had to have it. However, like rookie who didn't know much about the tool company, I tried to haggle the price. I didn't understand why it was so expensive and I think Dan assured me it was the best and will outlast any other of its kind. I still treasure it and use it weekly. I've also apologized to Jason for trying to gyp him on his work!

That’s all for this week! Thank you for following along with our series and sharing our support for our fellow mechanics. We’ll be back next week with a new feature. In the meantime, we are still in need of nominations!! You don’t need to be a PBMA Member to nominate or be featured! All that we ask is for: (1) no self-nominations, and (2) for you to include your nominee’s email address! Click here to learn more about our 2018 Mechanic Monday series, and here to learn more about how to nominate your favorite mechanic!

#mechanicmonday honors Dave McInnis

​After a quick break for Memorial Day in the US, we are back with a new (and international!) Mechanic Monday feature! This week’s honoree is Dave McInnis of North Vancouver, BC, Canada!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with PBMA’s Mechanic Monday series, this is where we feature one mechanic each week who is chosen randomly from the pool of nominations that we receive. Mechanic Monday is all about mechanics supporting fellow mechanics, and we are proud to partner with Abbey Bike Tools, Cycling Industry News, and People for Bikes to share these great features with you.

Dave McInnis is a veteran cyclist and mechanic, who moved to the North Vancouver area 10+ years ago in search of a better mountain biking scene. As it turned out, he found all that and more! Dave worked as a race mechanic for some of BC’s top pros and spent time as an instructor at The Bike Room, before opening his own shop, BicycleHub. He was the Sole Owner/Operator of BicycleHub for five years, before hiring his first mechanic last summer. Since moving to the area, and even after opening his own shop, Dave has made it a priority to “give back” by donating countless hours of his time to the Scouts and other community groups, to share his love of cycling and the outdoors with today’s youth.

With all of the outstanding and impactful work that Dave does for his community, we were honored to catch-up with him to learn more about his endeavors in the world of cycling. Here is some of what he had to say, in his own words!

PBMA: Do you have a favorite moment or story from your time in the cycling industry?

DM: This one is super tough!!!! I have been so blessed to have so many incredible stories and adventures because of riding and wrenching! There a few layers to this question. Getting to race, and ride as much as I have with friends and athletes I love and respect is the most amazing thing for me. I guess my shop’s opening party would be up there – an incredibly fun night with some fantastic riders and friends and the culmination of a dream for me. I do what I do because I love helping people enjoy their bikes. I've had some really incredible moments when I first saw pros [racing] on bikes I built for them, riding rampage, doing film shoots, etc. The feeling of being trusted with that is pretty incredible. But the same goes for when I see pictures of my customers on social media enjoying a riding adventure that I helped get them ready for, or when folks email me to tell me how much they've loved their bike. The first time [I saw] one of my BicycleHub stickers on a car I didn't recognize will always be up there for me as well – that feeling of "wow, someone who isn't family or friends loves what I do enough to put my sticker on their car!!!!"

PBMA: What motivation or advice would you give to an aspiring professional bicycle mechanic?

DM: I would simply tell them to believe in themselves and take the time to learn how to do things the correct way. Once you have the basics dialed, you then have the freedom to problem-solve and be the best mechanic you can be – sometimes in unconventional ways. As a small business owner, as well as a rider and mechanic, I would say the biggest hurdle for me was giving myself permission to find my own path to success – to find my own balance between all the myriad tasks that make up running a small business with the need to be outside and recreating, and to push myself as a rider even when people will tell you to take it easy. "What if you get hurt, don't you have a business to run?" is a common refrain, and it’s a valid question But if I'm not pushing myself, I'm not happy anyway, so I needed to learn that.

You will make mistakes, you'll disappoint people, and you'll feel horrible at your job. That part is inevitable. The rewards are worth it. To own my own mistakes and hiccups along the way was a hugely valuable process and one that I learned a ton from, both professionally and personally.

PBMA: What is your favorite tool?

DM: Favorite tool is another tough one! I believe that good tools are so worth the cost, so my box is filled with lots of Snap-On and other good stuff. Solid Allen keys are always a must, good sockets and ratchets…

But if I had to pick just one, I would probably pick my Kowa Spoke Cutter. I love building wheels, and the ability to just carry blanks and cut spokes to whatever length needed ensures that I can always build wheels to the highest standards. But for smaller tools, I would say my Knipex Adjustable Wrenches take the cake!

That’s all for this week! Thank you for following along with our series and sharing our support for our fellow mechanics. We’ll be back next week with a new feature. In the meantime, we are still in need of nominations!! You don’t need to be a PBMA Member to nominate or be featured! (All that we ask is for no self-nominations, please.) Click here to learn more about our 2018 Mechanic Monday series, and here to learn more about how to nominate your favorite mechanic!

#mechanicmonday honors Franklin Haws

​It’s Mechanic Monday again, and we are excited to introduce you to this week’s honoree, Frank Haws of Boulder, Colorado!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with PBMA’s Mechanic Monday series, this is where we feature one mechanic each week who is chosen randomly from the pool of nominations that we receive. Mechanic Monday is all about mechanics supporting fellow mechanics, and we are proud to partner with Abbey Bike Tools, Cycling Industry News, and People for Bikes to share these great features with you.

Frank Haws is a shop-mechanic-turned-race-mechanic and an endurance machine specialist. Last year, he led a support crew for a solo athlete competing in the Race Across America (RAAM) and he is currently doing some impressive demo work for the MTB industry. We are pleased to share some of Frank’s story with you today, in his own words!

PBMA: How did you become involved in cycling and/or cycling mechanics?

I got started in a shop in my late teens assembling new bikes and driving deliveries for some rental bikes to local hotels and guest houses. From there, I got more into the mechanical side of things and eventually found myself doing more and more race support.

PBMA: Do you have a favorite moment or story from your time in the cycling industry?

One of my favorite moments was during Race Across America in 2017, getting stuck in one of the most terrifying/hilarious hail storms ever. Hail stones just shy of baseball size and torrential rain with flash flooding up to bottom bracket height while our rider was on course. We pulled him and ducked into a car wash to wait it out. Oh hail yes.

PBMA: What motivation or advice would you give to an aspiring professional bicycle mechanic?

Some advice I’d give to other aspiring mechanics is simply just to observe everyone’s technique, taking your favorite tips, tricks and methods from each mechanic you work with.

PBMA: What is your favorite tool?

My favorite tool in my box is my Jagwire cable cutters with an awl hidden in the handle to open up housing after cutting. A close second is Park’s Internal Routing Kit in conjunction with some plastic sheathing that we all see so often. A true unsung hero.

That’s all for this week! Thank you for following along with our series and sharing our support for our fellow mechanics. We’ll be back next week with a new feature. In the meantime, we are still in need of nominations!! You don’t need to be a PBMA Member to nominate or be featured! (All that we ask is for no self-nominations, please.) Click here to learn more about our 2018 Mechanic Monday series, and here to learn more about how to nominate your favorite mechanic!

#mechanicmonday honors CHip Howat

​It’s Mechanic Monday again, and we are excited to introduce you to this week’s honoree, Chip Howat of Lawrence, Kansas!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with PBMA’s Mechanic Monday series, this is where we feature one mechanic each week who is chosen randomly from the pool of nominations that we receive. Mechanic Monday is all about mechanics supporting fellow mechanics, and we are proud to partner with Abbey Bike Tools, Cycling Industry News, and People for Bikes to share these great features with you.

Chip Howat is not only a Professional Bicycle Mechanic, but also a Professional Engineer (like, he actually has a license and a PhD to prove it). Over the 25+ years, Chip has become a fixture in the world of mountain bike race mechanics; he’s helped his riders win Gold at the World Championships, collaborated with some of the biggest names in the industry on product design and testing, and helped write many of the curricula that are used to teach the next generation of bicycle mechanics.

Chip was one of the first nominations we received for this year’s Mechanic Monday series, but he’s such a busy guy that we’ve only just had time to catch up with him. So without further ado, we are proud to share some of Chip’s story with you here in his own words!

PBMA: How did you become involved in cycling and/or cycling mechanics?

CH: I began cycling at age six with a Schwinn 20-inch, cycled through college, commuted to work, and ultimately traded my Enduro/Hare Scramble motorcycles for mountain bikes. I continue to cycle over 4,000 miles per year.

I had been a motorcycle mechanic to support my racing. In my other life, I studied industrial plant performance, process safety, and manufacturing reliability. I was asked to evaluate a death attributed to bicycle part specification and assembly errors. When that case was approaching trial, I enrolled in John Barnett’s Comprehensive Bicycle Mechanics course in 1991. That same year, I went to the USCF (now USAC) Mechanics Clinic held at the Olympic Training Center. From there, bicycle mechanics, reliability, and safety began to take up more and more of my professional and personal life. It led to eight world championships, personal and professional associations with the Bill Woodul Race Mechanics Clinic for 25 years, development of the Race Mechanics Handbook, and the establishment of my repair-only shop.

PBMA: Do you have a favorite moment or story from your time in the cycling industry?

CH: When you are as ancient as I am, there are so many! Perhaps the most memorable was supporting the USA Team at the 1996 World Mountain Bike Championships – my third. At that time, the Masters were included in the event. About 20 minutes before staging, a Masters racer comes to the USA Team tent with her chain stuck between her middle and granny – everyone was riding three rings then. Using the team doctors’ cooler as a work bench, I re-spaced the rings and altered the front derailleur. I ran with her to staging, asking her to shift repeatedly to convince her that the bike was ready to race. She won Gold.

On a personal level, meeting Calvin Jones at the BBI in 1991 is my most cherished moment. This meeting led to working with him on so many projects, including tubular tire gluing, quick-release retention, falling-ball viscometer development for fork tuning and oil evaluation, TM-1 calibration development, Park Tool WTA development, disc brake performance, and various clinics, workshops, and races, and on and on. That moment led to a lifetime friendship.

PBMA: What motivation or advice would you give to an aspiring professional bicycle mechanic?

CH: In one sentence – “There is so much more to being a professional bicycle mechanic than knowing how to turn a wrench.”

In many ways, turning the wrench is the easiest part to learn and to refresh with initial and continuing education. The most difficult parts are personal characteristics. As a professional, a mechanic must truly listen to the rider and show – through presentation, actions, and words – that nothing is more important than the rider, his or her bike, and his or her safety. The professional mechanic must adopt the culture that the rider’s safety is by far the greatest importance in any professional mechanic activity. The professional must learn to evaluate how they appear to others at all times, to ensure that observers develop confidence in all of [the professional’s] diagnoses, recommendations, and repairs.

PBMA: Okay, we know this one’s going to be hard for you, but we have to ask. What is your favorite tool?

CH: It is so important to know why something must be done, not just what and how. My brain/hand is my most favorite and most valued. With that tool, I can make even the most mediocre tool adjust the most sophisticated bike. Okay, that [could just be] my hippy heritage from the 60s talking…

My favorite tool was always a folding Allen wrench set with metal backing plates. The heft, grip, and well-worn metal from 20+ years of use made it a favorite, an example of Ric’s wabi-sabi. I took it to all races, rode with it on all rides, and it was the go-to hex wrench set when I could use a folding tool. Unfortunately, it went on a walkabout from my race kit after the last race at the Champrey Worlds; I hope that it is enjoying its tour.

That’s all for this week! Thank you for following along with our series and sharing our support for our fellow mechanics. We’ll be back next week with a new feature. In the meantime, we are still in need of nominations!! You don’t need to be a PBMA Member to nominate or be featured! (All that we ask is for no self-nominations, please.) Click here to learn more about our 2018 Mechanic Monday series, and here to learn more about how to nominate your favorite mechanic!

PBMA CERTIFIED SHOP PROGRAM GOES LIVE

​The PBMA announced today that it has launched a Certified Shop program, based on its own Mechanics’ Certification and focusing on a shop’s service credentials.

A PBMA Certified Shop is a shop employing Certified Professional Bicycle Mechanics and is a genuine resource within its community. Certified Shops will gain insurance discounts, streamlined distributor access, and two mechanic memberships per location.

“The idea of the program is to highlight shops that are focused on service and provide qualified service to consumers. By certifying their mechanical staff and recognizing the shop as a leader in service, we can highlight the businesses as well as the technicians in our certified directory,” said PBMA President James Stanfill.

The PBMA Certified Shop program is not exclusive to traditional bicycle shops; the program recognizes all legitimate bicycle businesses, including mobile, service-only, and brick-and-mortar shops.

“In January, we had a great discussion with a handful of independent mobile owners and came to the conclusion that there are challenges for legitimacy within our industry for businesses that aren’t built in the traditional sense.

In discussion with owners of traditional shops, mobile shops, and service-only enterprises, we thought the best way forward in our changing industry would be to continue to look specifically at service and what service can provide for the shop and the community,” Stanfill said.

The application process gathers data to verify that the shop is operating legally per their local laws and in a professional manner. PBMA Mechanics’ Certification is presently open and free for members of the Association, with additional in-person certification set to launch at Interbike Marketweek later this year.

​Comments from around the industry:

Jim Kersten said, “CABDA fully supports this latest development from the PBMA. It is high time our industry came together to focus on service, and PBMA is the only organization in our industry that can do it. Creating an organization that serves the interests of mobile operators, service-only folks, as well as traditional IBDs is hugely important to the future viability of our profession. Going forward, we will be curtailing our membership component in order to more fully support the PBMA’s Shop Certification program”

“As an owner/operator of an independent mobile bicycle service I applaud the efforts of the PBMA in creating standards and certifications for bicycle mechanics. Operating as a PBMA Certified Shop will only add to the confidence my clients have in me as a mechanic. The certification process will also help ensure that the industry standards needed to assemble modern bicycles are highlighted and adhered to. This in turn will build confidence within the bike industry of service driven shops”, said David Ricker of Pedalin’ Fools Mobile Bicycle Services

Michael Gavagan, owner of Gav the Mechanic, a service-only shop in Boulder, Colorado said, “Having Certified Mechanic and Certified Shops will provide the accountability that consumers are looking for when seeking out a shop that can provide that higher level of professionalism.”